Why photography makes me so happy

"According to research, looking through photo albums makes you happier than chocolate, music or even your favourite TV show.  In a study, Peter Naisch, Doctor of Psychology at The Open University, compared the moods of people using four typical cheer up treats with those browsing their favourite snaps.  The results show that the mood of those viewing photographs was consistently lifted by 11%. When you look through your personal photo albums, it produces a positive improvement in relaxation, calmness and even their sense of being valued and popular.  In return, this results in an overall higher happiness score."  Mark Goldstein

Taking the time to look back on our treasured memories can be truly beneficial for our wellbeing as it can help to evoke feelings of positivity and happiness. Because of this, and especially at times like this, we should take more time to appreciate and look back on them.  Jo Hemmings

Taking photos

• Inspires me to get out, go on adventures worth photographing.
• Helps me to be mindful, in my senses, noticing beauty in the world around me.
• Helps me to see beautify in both the widest landscapes and the tiniest details.
• A wonderful form of creative expression. 
• A skill to continually hone and master.
• Seeing the world as God's work of art and my role is to capture the beauty and share it through my photos.
• A passion to share with others (e.g. photo Meet Up, camera club, Jo).

Editing and uploading photos to Life Trove

• Creative expression: editing is an art to be mastered and enjoyed.  Lightroom makes this a pleasure.
• Reliving the experience, strengthening the memory.
• A sense of joy in curating something precious (selecting, ordering, displaying and sharing).
• I get to share my experiences with my loved ones.
• Sharing my photos with others who were there.

Looking back as time goes by

• A dairy of what I got up to and the good times I had.
• A curation of all that I love.
• A reminder of the people, places, and activities I love.
• Preserving memories while saving space (the joy of digital verse physical photo albums).
• Photos on the wall of my beautiful home to enjoy and share.
• The ability to photograph and preserve precious things that would otherwise fade (e.g. cards).
• Random memories via the "surprise me" link on Life Trove.